In the Heights' Janet Dacal Tapped for Wildhorn's Wonderland

In the Heights cast member Janet Dacal has been tapped for the role of Alice in Wonderland, composer Frank Wildhorn and lyricist Jack Murphy’s new musical inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The production, directed by Gregory Boyd, is slated to premiere at Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center beginning November 24 with opening on December 5, and will play through January 3, 2010.

Also announced were Broadway veterans Karen Mason (Hairspray) as the Queen, Nikki Snelson (Legally Blonde) as the Mad Hatter and Eugene Fleming (Fosse) as the Caterpillar. Wildhorn himself revealed the casting at Tampa’s annual Broadway Theatre Project, where he and casting director Dave Clemmons have been teaching. No official confirmations have been made, though a formal announcement is expected shortly.

An updated spin on the classic story, Wonderland spotlights Alice as a NYC children’s book writer and single mother. When Alice’s 10-year-old daughter, Chloe, runs down the infamous rabbit hole, the musical adventure through Carroll’s wild cast of characters begins.

Dacal and Mason are new to Wonderland, which had its first Equity reading on March 21, 2009. The reading featured Snelson, as well as current Vanities star Lauren Kennedy as Alice, Sean McCourt as the White Rabbit, Julia Murney as the Queen, Derrick Baskin as the Caterpillar and John Treacy Egan as the Jabberwock, among others.

Dacal is currently featured as Carla in In the Heights. Additional Broadway credits include Good Vibrations. Off-Broadway, she appeared in the original cast of In the Heights.

Following its premiere in Tampa, Wonderland will transfer to Houston’s Alley Theatre, where Boyd is artistic director, for a limited engagement running January 9, 2010, through February 14. The production is produced by Judith Lisi.